Multiple spindle lathe



MULTIPLE SPINDLE LATHE Filed Aug. 6, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l I Q i i@ l N m g L* y l I Q L LO N ww L o, @YO u l i Il I l mi I 1 H M faam 2P. am bf/z H UML-555%@ Feb- 6, 1934 E. R. SMITH Er AL. 1,945,663

MULTIPLE SPINDLE LATH'E Filed Aug. 6. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 6, 1934. El R SMH-H Er AL 1,945,663

' MULTIPLE SPINDLE LATHE Filed Aug. e, 1931 3 sheets-'sheet s nanas F55. 6,1934 i LUNITBD STATES PATENT oFFlcE" y I h MULTIPLE SPINDLE La'rmi i Edwinr n.. smith and. .mi Ljretem. seneca.

Falls, N.Y.-, `assignors to Seneca Falls Machine .'Company, Seneca Falls, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts y application' August s, 17931. semina. 555,540

` 1 claim.' (c1. aia-3) beadvanced from different'dire'ctions toward the u work. l, i Our invention further relatesto' arrangements u and combinations of parts which will bev hereinafter ,described and morefparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

` A preferred form of the invention is shown iny the drawings, in which 1 2i) Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of our improved multiplespindle lathe;

\ Fig. 2fis la partial end view, looking in the direction of the'arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional elevation taken L 25' along the line 3-3 'in Fig. 1;

Fig.'3a is ajdetail end elevation of certain parts to be described; l y Fig. 4 isa detail sectionaly view, taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3a; 5 i Fig. 5 is adetail sectional elevation taken along the line 5-5 on Fig. 1; and

Fig.f6 shows a modified construction.

` Referring to the drawings, we have shown a multiple spindle lathe comprising aframe 10 in 35 which a plurality of work spindles 11 are rotat- 'ably mountedk rin a series which is concentric about the axis of a shaft 12, Supported at one end ina bearing ,13 fixed in the frame 10. Another portion of the shaft 12 is rotatably and angularly movable in'a sleeve l5 which in turn is supported in a bearing 16 fixed on the frame 10. Each spindle 11 is supported in suitable bearings 20 in the frame 10,l these bearings being preferably of anti-friction construction. Each lspindle 11 is provided witha gear 22, rall of which gears engagea ycentral gear 24 rotatable about .y able chucks `30 for holding rods R extending lengthwise'through the chucks and fed axially thereof by any usual feeding mechanism.

A spider 33 is fixed at the outer end of the shaft y12and is provided with a plurality of stop screws 34 vpositioned in alignment with the dif- 50. ferent rods R at the time when the feeding of the rods takes place. The stop screws 34 may be adjusted in the arms of the spider 33 so as to stop the endwise feed of the rods at desired positions.

Suitable mechanism is provided for auto- 55 matically releasing the chucks 30.during the feeding operation. As shown in the drawings, this releasing mechanism may include a lever 37 forL each work spindle, pivoted at 38 on the frame 10 and engaged bya projection 39 on a 70 ring or collar 40. 'Suitable provisionis made for moving 'the ring 40 angularly I to release the chucks during the' feeding operation.`

The structure of the chucks 30 and of the work feeding and releasing mechanism formsno part of our present invention and may be of any usual or `commercial form but is not shown in detail herein. -f r We will now describe the mechanism for supporting and feeding the tools which operate on so the work rotated by the different work spindles.

For this purpose we providetoo'l holding supports or plates 44 and 45, each mounted for angular movement about the axis of the shaft 12.

rThe plate 44 is keyedvto the shaft 12 and is 85 angularly movable therewith, and the plate 45 is. secured to the sleeve 15 previously described.

Suitable provision is made for clamping a series of tools T to the plate 44, and a series of tools T to the plate 45, in positions to engage the different pieces of work R as shown in Fig. 2. The tools T engage the work at one side and the tools T at the opposite side, so that both sets of tools may operate simultaneously.

'I'he tools T and T maybe secured in any con- 95 venient manner in the plates 44 and 45. In Fig. 4 we have shown one of the tools T as being seated in a rectangular recess in the face of the plate 45 and as being secured therein by clamping bolts 50 having wedge-shaped heads 51. Any other suit- .100

able clamping or securing means may be sub-` stituted.

In order to advance the tools T toward the work and to feed the tools T into the work, we provide an arm 53 fixed to the shaft l2 and having 105 a roll 54 engaged by the internal surface 55 (Fig.

5) of `a cam 56 mounted on the drive shaft 28. A spring 57 holds the roll 54 firmly in contact with the cam surface 55 and the cam acts to swing the tool T in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 5- 11o and toward the rotating rod R. for a groovin! or forming operation.

Similarly. the tools T' are moved by an arm mounted on the sleeve 15 and having a roll the external surface of the cam 62 61 engaging securedto a disc 63 mounted on androtatable with the driving shaft 28. A spring 64 holds the roll 61 against the cam 62.

By the use of internal and external cam surfaces, the tools are advanced toward the work i from opposite sides and in opposite directions, as

indicated in Fig. 3a and 5.. The cam surfaces -are so designed that the tools will remain withdrawn v duringv the workfeeding =operaton, after which they will be advanced quickly to working position and will then be given a relatively slow feedl for the machining and cutting-off of the work, after which they willbe returned quickly to inoperative position by the springs 57 and 64 and will remain `at rest during work feed. The stops 34, being mounted on `the shaft 12, will receive a slight angular movementduringthe operation of the i tools on the work, but so long so the screws 34 i are aligned with the rods R at the time when the feedingof the rods occurs, angular movement of `the stop screws with the shaft 12 during the tool operation is immaterial.

In Fig. 6 I'have shown a modified construction in which provision is made for giving the outer tool-holding supporter plate 44 an axial as well as an angular movement. For this purpose a Vportion of the shaft 12 `is provided with a series of circumferential grooves-70, engaged by a segment gear "Il pivoted at72 and having a depending arm 'I3 connected therewith `and provided with a cam roll '74. The roll '14 is positioned in the cam groove 'l5 of a cylindrical or barrel cam "I6, mounted onthe cam shaft`28 previously described. f

The sleeve 15 and one side to receive the segment gear 'l1 and allow the same to engage the grooves in the shaft 12. The cam roll 54* on the arm 53 iselongated and bearing 16 are recessed (at the cam groove 55* inthe cam 56 is correspond-` ingly increased in depth to permit limited axial movement of the shaft 12 and tool support 44.

With this construction, the forming tools T carried by the support or plate 44 may be given an axial as well as an angular movement. As the stops or gauge screws 24 are carried by the shaft A12, it is desirable to form the cam groove 'I5 so that the plate 44 will be held in stationary inward position at the time when the feeding of the" work table takes place. Angular movement of the tools on the plate 44 toward the several pieces of work is effected as previously described. It will thus appear that we have provided a multiple spindle lathe of exceedingly simple construction, in which a plurality of pieces of work may be finished simultaneously and in which the operating and control mechanism is simple and reliable and particularly well designed for the` intended purposes.

Having thus described our invention andthe advantages thereof, wedo not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwisethan as set forth in the claim, butwhat we claim is:-

In a multiple spindle lathe, a pluralityof work spindles disposed in a concentric series, a` tool supioo port angularly movable about'the axis of said concentric series, a plurality of tools mounted on said support and each engageable with a piece of work `in one of said work spindles,means to give said lao 

